How to Cook an Entire Salmon: Gill to Tail

We dare you to find a restaurant that doesn't lay claim to its "farm-to-table" mission. We get it. Chefs everywhere are sourcing from farms — although we're not sure where we thought they were getting these ingredients before. Add to the list of foodie buzzwords: nose-to-tail. Or perhaps you've heard restaurants boasting about their whole-animal butchery programs. Now this is something we can get on board with: chefs who take advantage of underutilized, often-thrown-away cuts of meat and vegetables (think pig ears and beet greens) to minimize waste and provide diners with unique, delicious dishes. The only problem is that this type of cooking is not exactly geared toward the home cook — are you prepared to butcher a whole pig in your kitchen?

Fear not! There is a way to get on board with this trend at home: gill-to-tail, or taking a whole fish and utilizing every part of it. Not only an impressive party skill, but a way to save money, and eat in a more versatile and more sustainable way. After spending a week in Cordova, Alaska (where the prized Copper River salmon swims), I knew this was a skill I needed to add to my repertoire. So, I called in the experts to see how they make the most of salmon.

But first: There are a few important things to keep in mind when buying a whole salmon. In order to utilize some of the lesser-known cuts, like salmon collar, you'll want to buy a fish that's at least five pounds, says Hank Shaw, author of Hunt, Gather, Cook. If you can't find a whole salmon at your local fishmonger or grocery store, ask if they have some of the scraps and pieces in the back (you won't find salmon tail in the display case), or if they can save those pieces for you next time. It's all about developing that relationship with your butcher, says James Beard Award-winner Huch Acheson.

Once you've got your fish, here are seven dishes you can make:

Salmon Trim:

Lyric Lewin

Photo: Kosta Kontogiannis

"After you trim a fillet, there's inevitably some meat still left on the bones," explains Clayton Miller, executive chef at Michael Mina's Wit & Wisdom in Baltimore. "Simply take a spoon and run it right down the back. You'll end up with about six ounces of good salmon that you can chop up and use in many different applications, from tartare to rillettes and fish cakes." Miller uses salmon trim for his smoked-salmon tartare dish, curing the trim in a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices for 30 minutes before cold-smoking it. "Just rinse the seasonings off with cold water and air-dry. It will become sticky, and then you'll just cold-smoke it for 30 seconds. Give it a coarse chop, and dress it up however you'd like. Either way, this method is far superior to the "mass-produced, oily, and smoke-heavy smoked salmon you'll find at the store."

Salmon Belly:

Lyric Lewin

Photo: Takahiko Marumoto

"The belly is super fatty and almost not worth cooking because it nearly renders away," says Alex Stupak, chef and owner of NYC's Empellon Cocina and Empellon Taqueria. "So we like to cook the salmon gently, around 200 degrees, and use it for our salmon rillettes." After the salmon is just cooked through, it only takes about eight minutes, allow it to cool, and then mash it with a fork, says Stupak, who suggests mixing it with an aioli (he opts for a chipotle version on his menu) or a mayonnaise. "Just whisk the shredded salmon into the mayo, making an emulsion, and then add some acid, like lime juice." It's great spread on a cracker or bread, or like Stupak serves it: on masa crisps. Stupak also cures salmon belly with mezcal. "Simply rub the salmon belly with salt and let it sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Rinse it with 3 ounces of mezcal, pat-dry with a paper towel, and slice it sashimi-style."

Salmon Collar:

Lyric Lewin

Photo: Holly Heyser

Though you've likely only seen this cut of fish at sushi restaurants, salmon collar is perhaps the most prized part of the fish, says Hank Shaw, who likens the fatty cut to a chicken oyster. "The reason to bother with a collar is because it is a lot like pork shoulder or lamb shank, where there's lots of connective tissue that dissolves and becomes really silky and luxurious," says Shaw, who admits salmon collar is so fatty it will make your lips shiny. Your fishmonger should be able to cut it for you — it's fairly tricky to do yourself if you're not familiar with filleting fish. Once you have the collar, a simple teriyaki marinade (it only needs an hour) and a grill are all you'll need. Shaw recommends coating it with sesame oil and grilling the fish over high heat, skin-side down for 2 to 3 minutes per side so you can get those coveted grill marks. "If your grill is dirty, and you're worried about the fish sticking, move it to a cooler part of the grill instead of flipping it, paint it with the marinade, and put the lid down to finish cooking," says Shaw. "Then eat it with your fingers, making sure you get every morsel out."

Salmon Skin:

Lyric Lewin

Photo: Fred Fung

Alvin Pillay, chef at Vancouver's Clough Club, got tired of wasting the salmon skin he threw off of fillets. So he decided to turn them into crackers, "frying them until really crispy, like a bar snack." The most important thing to remember when making salmon-skin chips or crackers: "Make sure there is no fat or meat on the skin because it adds moisture and takes away from the crispiness," explains Pillay. "If you get the salmon-y smell, it's that fat." Simply cut the salmon skin into sections and cook on a hot griddle with olive oil, using a cast-iron paddle to keep the skin down — "otherwise, the skin will curl up on you, which is also why you can't throw it in the deep fryer." Or you can bake the skin in the oven, but you'll still need something to weigh it down. Salmon-skin chips are delicious plain, or as a chip for salmon tartare and other dips. "What's great about using these different cuts is that it adds a textural point of difference that's unlike what you normally associate with the animal."

Salmon Sushi:

Lyric Lewin

Photo: Elizabeth Montana

You don't have to use just one part of the salmon to make high-quality sushi at home, says Yasu Kizaki, co-owner of Denver's famed Sushi Den. Your biggest concern here is bacteria. "You don't need to buy sashimi-grade fish, just make sure it's fresh," says Kizaki. "Fish shouldn't smell unless it's old or if the skin has touched the meat." Follow Kizaki's easy steps to ensure a safe product:

Buy fresh salmon. Clean and scale it, taking the head off and the internal organs out. Fillet the salmon and cut it into blocks.

Freeze the salmon to kill the parasites. Defrost at room temperature.

Lightly coat the salmon with salt, allowing it to sit for one hour.

Wash the salt away with cold water and lightly marinate in rice vinegar for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. It's now safe and ready to eat.

If you're still wary of eating raw fish at home, trying using the aburi method. Take a torch like you'd use for crème brûlée and lightly sear the outside of the fish. "You want it just touched by the fire, not cooked through," says Kizaki, adding that when done this way, you don't need to cure the salmon.

Salmon Tail:

Lyric Lewin

Don't forget about the tail! Adam Brick, sous chef at Graffiato in Washington D.C., uses all kinds of fish tails in his "Gems" menu, a 12-course tasting menu highlighting coveted and scarce ingredients in a new way. Fortunately, they're a breeze to cook at home, too. Follow Brick's advice: "Rinse the tail well in cold water. Place over a bed of rock salt and roast at 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size. You're looking for it to flake, and you want to see the fish proteins coming out." A light vinaigrette with lemon and herbs is the perfect accompaniment. Be sure to keep the skin on; it's what will protect the meat and keep it juicy, says Brick.

Salmon Bones and Heads:

Lyric Lewin

Photos: Lyric Lewin

Even after you've taken the fillets, collar, trim, and the skin, there are still two things left from your whole salmon that shouldn't go to waste: the bones and the head. "I don't always recommend using salmon for stock because it's an extraordinarily fatty fish (unlike halibut, which is leaner and has a lot of natural gelatin), and cooking fish fats is what we equate to fishiness, but that's not to say you can't make a great salmon stock," says Acheson. Start by taking the head and getting as much meat off of it as you can using sharp kitchen scissors. Remove any bits of skin and flesh on the bones and just rinse in cold water. Add cold water and the head and bones to a large pot with aromatics, like leeks, celery, fennel, and thyme. Acheson also adds kombu (a Japanese seaweed) to add depth of flavor. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. "Stocks shouldn't be a matter of turning it on high and walking away for 6 hours. They need more gentleness and care," says Acheson, adding that if you let salmon stock cook for too long, "it will smell like cat food." The impurities will rise to the top, so simply skim them and then strain the stock at the end. Use immediately. "It's a great base for fish sauces, or a fish soup, very clean and simple."